


Picking Up The Pieces

by XProSkeith



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison dies, Death, Funeral, Gen, McCall Pack, Scott's Pack, dealing with death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 17:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1396204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProSkeith/pseuds/XProSkeith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The pack copes and deals with Allison's death after the nogitsune incident. The story was inspired by a tumblr post from zacksdoodles (http://zacksdoodles.tumblr.com/post/81246337453/the-original-post-of-scott-placing-a-pen-in-front).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picking Up The Pieces

Their world had been shattered. They'd lost Allison. They had to put their grief aside to deal with the nogitsune, but that had long passed. They had the funeral shortly after the nogitsune incident had been wrapped up. It was a small and private affair, but it was perfect. The sheriff had ensured that no one would disturb the funeral. Now that it was done, it was time to start picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives.

Stiles had taken it upon himself to be there for Scott and Lydia the most. He was reeling from her death as well, but he knew those two would need him. He couldn't stand to see his friends suffer like this and he would do whatever he could to make it better even if that meant putting his own feelings and emotions aside. Lydia had just lost her best friend and Scott had lost his first love, the woman he still loved. Lydia called and texted him quite often. She was excellent at hiding her emotions, at distracting herself, but sometimes she just couldn't take it and she called Stiles. She talked to him about Allison and how hard it was for her with Allison gone. Stiles always reassured her that everything was going to be alright. He reminded her that he would always be there for her and when she needed him, he was there physically for her to comfort her and give her something physical to hold on to. Somehow, that was always enough to Lydia. But one night, not long after the funeral, there was a particularly bad night for Lydia and she asked for Stiles to come see her.

"Lydia, what's wrong?" asked Stiles after stepping into her room.

She turned to look at him, her face streaked with tears. Stiles knew this would be bad.

"I tried," Lydia choked out, her voice cracking. "I warned her. I left a message I knew she'd find on the window. I even told Meredith to tell you not to find me. But everyone came anyway."

Stiles sat next to her on her bed and put his arm around her, pulling her in close a bit before he said, "Lydia, it's not your fault. You tried. We just didn't get it."

"I knew, Stiles. I heard them. All of them. So many voices screaming. They all said she was going to die. I knew, but I still tried. I couldn't change anything. I can never save anyone."

Stiles grabbed Lydia firmly by her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Lydia, listen to me carefully, okay?" said Stiles, calmly but with concern. "You have saved people before and you will continue to. You're very important to me and to everyone else. This is not you fault, Lydia. Not in the slightest. So, please, don't blame yourself, okay?"

At the end, Stiles' voice cracked a bit. Lydia looked at him, her eyes tearing up. Stiles had gotten through to her.

"You're right," said Lydia quietly as silent tears rolled down her face. "I know. But it's still hard. I tried my best, but I still failed."

"You didn't fail, Lydia. We're all great friends, part of the pack. We won't leave anyone behind, no matter what."

"Yeah. I know she couldn't just let me be in danger. It wouldn't have been like her."

"Yeah. She could never let a friend be in danger, especially her best friend."

Lydia smiled, leaned over onto Stiles, and said, "Thanks, Stiles. I feel better. Could you stay for a little while? Not long, but... Just a little while."

Stiles nodded, put his arm around her again and said, "Yeah, of course."

He stayed with Lydia for a few more hours, just holding her in silence until she finally drifted off to sleep. Stiles tucked her into bed, confident that she would be okay now, and quietly left.

There were several nights that Stiles had stayed over at Scott's house, comforting his best friend as he cried until he finally fell asleep. They'd talk about her and remember her. Stiles always seemed to be able to calm Scott. He knew just what to say to help him and comfort him. After knowing each other their entire lives, it was really no surprise. One night while they were talking, Scott stopped and looked straight into Stiles' eyes, a look of sudden realization in his eyes followed by an apologetic look. He immediately hugged Stiles tightly.

"Stiles, I'm so sorry," Scott said. "I've been really selfish."

"Scott, what're you talking about? Are you okay?" asked Stiles, sounding legitimately confused.

"I should be asking you that. Through all of this, you've been there for me and everyone else, but none of us ever stopped to ask you if you were okay. So, Stiles," said Scott, now looking straight into Stiles' eyes. "Are you okay?"

That was it. Stiles couldn't hold it back any longer. He couldn't lie to his best friend and Scott asking him directly made all the emotions that he had bottled up so that he could take care of everyone else surged to the surface of his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes and he quickly pulled Scott into a tight hug which Scott returned, gently rubbing Stiles' back as Stiles cried.

"It's my fault," Stiles said, sobbing now. "She died because of me. She died because I couldn't stop the nogitsune in time. Because I let it in and gave it strength."

"Stiles, it wasn't your fault," Scott said gently, still holding Stiles. "It wasn't you and you know that. You didn't give it strength. It gathered that on its own. It was a thousand years old. It was powerful on its own."

"But it still used me and my body, Scott. I'm not blameless. I killed her."

"Stiles, listen to me. Think about it logically. You know you're not at fault. And she wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for her death."

Stiles eyes widened for a moment at those words and he hugged Scott a little tighter.

"Yeah, I know. I told you the same thing not long ago. Guess I need to take my own advice, huh?"

"You do give great advice. I'd recommend taking it."

"Thanks. Sorry, I was supposed to be comforting and helping you, but you ended up doing that for me."

"Nah, it's no problem. I think we'll both be okay. We both finally got our feelings out."

The two of them finally separated. Stiles was still crying, but it was quiet and a lot less. Scott smiled softly at him with comfort and understanding.

"Yeah, I think we will," replied Stiles, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Scott. Really."

"It's what we do, man," said Scott. "We're best friends. I'll always have your back like you'll always have mine. But it's getting late. Maybe we should sleep."

Stiles smiled and nodded before he said, "Yeah, sounds good. And you know you'll always have me."

With that, the two friends laid down next to each other on Scott's bed. It was a little cramped like always, but they'd been doing this since they were kids. It didn't bother them. Somehow just being around each other and knowing they were both dealing with the same thing was comforting and it relaxed them. Scott and Stiles both fell asleep pretty quickly, somehow knowing that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 Lydia had been diving into mythology. It became a distraction for her, but also a passion. She took a focus on Japanese mythology as well as South American mythology. She also enjoyed translating the Argent Family Beastiary. She had convinced Mr. Argent to give her a copy. She figured it would be useful to the pack some day, but she also used it as a means to study the creatures that the Argents had encountered over the years. Her phone rang while she was finishing the translation of another article in the bestiary. It was Kira.

"Hey, Kira. What's up?" said Lydia.

"I just wanted to make sure you're still coming to the self-defense class with me tonight," said Kira.

"Yeah of course I am! I've been enjoying the class so far and, honestly, it's time I learned to defend myself."

"Well, tonight's class is going to be tougher than before. We're supposed to be going over some more advanced moves including some throws."

"I'll be fine, Kira. I'm stronger than I look. Besides, that's the kind of thing I need to learn."

"Alright, well, I'll see you soon then!"

"Yeah, see you later tonight."

Lydia hung up her phone and put it back down on the desk. She had really been enjoying the classes and she was learning the techniques well. Kira had also been teaching her some basic hand-to-hand combat when they had time, too. She looked up as she  heard a familiar voice that only she could hear. It was Meredith. Lydia smiled. She had worked with Meredith to help her learn to deal with her powers and the voices better and she had since been discharged from Eichen House. She'd check in on Lydia every so often. After all, they were friends now. Lydia saved her translation and went to get ready for her self-defense class with Kira.

* * *

 Stiles had been training with Derek and Scott. Derek introduced Stiles to a variety of exercises that didn't require a gym, such as pull-ups and push-ups. Besides that, he had Scott and Stiles run a lot. Stiles needed to get back in shape after the nogitsune incident and to build up stamina for the quickly approaching lacrosse season. That's why Scott was training as well. They both needed to be a their best for the season's start.

"I'm impressed, Stiles," said Derek. "You've actually improved a lot in the short time we've been working."

"Yeah! You're really getting there," said Scott.

"Thanks, guys," said Stiles, breathing heavily after their run. "But I have a long way to go."

"Yeah, but if you keep at it, you'll be fine," Derek replied.

"If you keep it up, you'll be co-captain with me. Wouldn't that be awesome?" said Scott, smilingly brightly.

Stiles nodded and replied, "Yeah, that'd be amazing."

"Alright, guys," said Derek. "Five more minutes then we're going for another run."

Scott and Stiles both groaned, but a serious glare from Derek silenced them. Five minutes later, they were running again. Stiles was determined to get better and the exercise was really helping him a lot.

* * *

 Later that day, Scott had a meeting with Deaton. They discussed his control over his shift and his ability to be a leader.

"I've gotten a lot better at controlling my shift and calling on my alpha powers," said Scott, shifting as he spoke.

"I never had any doubt," replied Deaton, smiling. "You're a true alpha for a reason, Scott."

"Yeah, I know you always believed in me from the moment I was bitten."

"Before then really. I knew it would happen eventually and I knew you'd rise to the occasion."

"But i'm not sure I'm the best leader." said Scott, looking down at his feet.

"Not true," said Deaton. "You've proven yourself already to be a skilled leader. Not only that, but you show signs of a true leader. You openly show concern for those who follow you. That's very important. More than that, you never give up. You keep on pushing and always find a way. Really, Scott, you're a better leader than you give yourself credit for."

"Thanks, Deaton. I appreciate it," Scott said, smiling sheepishly. "What comes next?"

"That remains to be seen. I suspect things will quiet down for a little while. A regression to the mean. It'll be good for everyone if it's like that."

"Yeah, I hope that's how it is."

"Don't worry, Scott. You and your pack will be ready for whatever comes your way."

* * *

 Chris was packing. His family was gone. It was time for him to make a trip back home, back to France. There were some things there that he needed to do and check on. As he closed his suitcase, he noticed Isaac had entered the apartment.

"You're leaving?" asked Isaac.

"Yes, but I won't be gone too long," Chris replied. "I just need to check on some things."

"Could... Could I come with you?"

Chris wasn't too surprised. He had actually kind of expected it. He knew this kid was going through a lot. He'd had a hell of terrible childhood and he just lost his girlfriend. He smiled at him and pulled out a second ticket.

"I figured you might want to come," Chris said.

Isaac's face brightened with surprise and happiness.

"Thank you!" Isaac said.

"I think we both need this trip. And I may need someone to help me along the way," said Chris.

"Yeah. Mr. Argent, I know you're still coping with the loss and so am I, but I'm here for you, too."

"Yeah, I know you are. That's why I want you to come with me."

Isaac gave Chris a hug which Chris easily returned. They both found comfort in each other, sharing the pain of losing her. After a moment, they separated.

"I'll be back soon. I need to pack and let Ms. McCall know I'll be leaving," said Isaac.

Chris nodded and Isaac left. In an hour, he'd returned with his suitcase in hand, ready to go. Without further delay, Chris and Isaac departed for the airport without looking back.

* * *

 About a month had passed since the funeral. Scott, Stiles, and Lydia had decided to visit Allison's grave finally. It was high time they did. They all agreed to meet up there in the early afternoon.

Stiles decided to take a long way to get to the graveyard. He walked down an old path in the preserve that he used to walk all the time as a kid. It was a path along a creek. He loved the small white flowers that bloomed there and right now they were in full bloom. His mother had always loved them. He began to gather a bunch of them in his arms until he had built a fairly large bouquet. When he was done, he continued on his way. He didn't want to be late to meet up with the others.

Scott and Lydia were walking up as Stiles arrived. They had all managed to arrive at exactly the same time. The three of them stood in front of her grave. They smiled as they looked at her grave. There were no more tears; they were beyond that now. They would always miss her, but they had resolved to be strong and to keep living for her. It's what she would have wanted.

Scott reached into his pocket and removed a pen. He placed it on top of her headstone.

"Here," said Scott, smiling fondly. "In case you forget again."

Stiles placed the flowers at the base of her headstone.

"I'm not really sure what flowers you like, but I hope you like them," Stiles said. "I gathered them by the creek in the preserve like I did when I was little. They were always my mom's favorite and I really like them, too."

Lydia placed a book against the headstone. It was sealed with a combination lock.

"I finally finished it," Lydia said. "I translated the entire bestiary. I thought you'd like a copy. I locked it for safekeeping. I hope you like it. It took a bit of work, but no one else in our group knows Archaic Latin."

The three of them placed their arms around each others shoulders and they smiled. A small breeze blew through the air and that's when they heard it. It was faint, but they swore they heard it. It was her voice.

"I am with you. Always."

The three looked up from the tombstone and for a split second they swore they saw her standing a few feet away in the distance, the wind blowing in her hair. But they blinked and she was gone and the breeze had faded. The three of them looked around for a moment but then just fell into a group hug for a few moments. They knew that she would always be with them. She was in the breeze, the rain, the creek, and their hearts. They would never forget her. With one final look at her grave the trio departed for home.

Allison's spirit smiled, a few tears rolling down her cheeks as she watched her friends walk away. She loved the things that had left for her. She knew they would be okay now. She could move on. She'd always watch over them, but she wouldn't have to worry anymore. The breeze blew one last time and she faded with it, leaving one last message for her friends.

"Thank you. And Goodbye."

Scott, Stiles, and Lydia never stopped walking and they didn't look back, but they definitely heard her. They smiled and finally departed the graveyard, heading home.


End file.
